Appratus to project player position indica

ABSTRACT

This invention will display a line at a set distance from the location that the device is placed for the specific reason of having a player in the game of darts shoot from that point the line is generated.

BACKGROUND OF INVENTION

This invention relates to games having rules that limit the player islocated when playing the game. A typical game would be Darts where theplayers must throw the darts from behind a “toe line”. Other games have“foul lines” or other terms describing the limits on the playersposition or movement. “Toe line” will be used in the preferredembodiment. Toe lines are typically marked with a permanent mark such asa length of tape affixed to the flooring material. In many cases thiscannot be done because the flooring material (such as carpeting) doesnot easily facilitate a permanent mark. In addition in someenvironments, such as a poorly lit bar, the toe lines are not easilyvisible. This invention addresses these problems.

SUMMARY OF INVENTION

This invention involves the game incorporating toe lines. Each playermust play from behind a line called the toeline. This invention attachesto or near a game board housing or integrated into a electronic gameboard such as commonly seen in bars, and project a beam of light tocreate the toeline. The light is generated by a laser, LED, or otherdevice producting projectable light, and is spread into the correctshaped beam that is projected as a line, lines, or an area, on the flooror other surfaces where the toe line is to appear. The distance of thetoe line from the game is determined by an adjustor in the apparatus.The apparatus is mounted in a location that allows an unobstructed pathto the desired location of the toe line. This location is generally, butneed not be, near or on the game board. The preferred embodiment will bedescribed in the context of a dart game, but one skilled in the art canreadily apply these teaching to other games where the players positionis restricted.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows the device in relation to the dartboard and player and it'spart in the game:

102 The location of the toeline device.

104 The gameboard for the game.

106 The location of the toeline.

108 The representation of a dart player.

110 The dart being throw at the board.

FIG. 2 is a listing of the component's that make up the device:

200 The power device.

202 The on/off switch.

204 The laser diode module.

206 The laser diode angle adjuster (detailed in FIG. 3)

FIGS. 3 a and 3 b show the means for adjusting the angle of the deviceto correct any errors in the location of where the toeline is projected:

204 The Laser diode module with integrated optics, as shown in FIG. 2,which produces the toe line.

302 The pivot point for changing the angle of projection of the toeline.

304 The elevator adjustor.

306 The unit casing.

308 The adjustor cam.

310 The adjuster cam shaft.

312 The pivot shaft.

314 the internal strut for positioning the adjuster cam shaft and thepivot shaft.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The preferred embodiment of this invention will use a Laser diode (classII or IIIa) and power source inside a casing that will project the lightat a default angle of 58.72 degrees to create a solid line on the ground93″ from the front of the device when placed at the height of 5″7″.Embodiments for other games, or installations which do not attach theapparatus to the same location, will have differing specifications

1. I claim that this apparatus will create a non-permanent visibleindica so that a game player may use this indica as the location to playthe game. Said apparatus comprising: a light source means suitable forprojection of said indica, a power source means for powering said lightsourcean adjustment means for setting the location of said indica, andan attachment means for mounting said apparatus.
 2. The apparatus ofclaim 1, wherein said light source is a laser
 3. The apparatus of claim1, wherein said light source is an LED
 4. The apparatus of claim 1,wherein said slight source is shaped using a holographic optical element5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said light source is shaped usingrefractive materials
 6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said indica isa line
 7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said indica is composed ofmultiple line segments
 8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said indicais composed of area projections